The first scan at 8wk is to find and listen to the heartbeat, the 12wk scan and blood test determines the risk of Downs Syndrome, the 16wk scan can determine the gender and the 20wk scan is an anomaly scan that measures all limbs and organs and will detect any major defects. Most hospitals and clinics also offer a cosmetic 4D scan around 28 - 32wk which allows you to see a very clear 4D scan of the baby's face.

A few weeks ago, we booked and attended our 4D scan but our stubborn little poppet decided to hide behind my placenta so we were unable to see any parts of its face. We were lucky enough to reschedule to last week and were greeted with a shy baby who showed a little of one side of its face, but after a can of sugary cool drink and bouncing on a yoga ball, we tried again and were greeted with the sweetest little face.